# X160CrMoV12-1 Tool Steel Forgings **W.-Nr. 1.2379 · X153CrMoV12-1 · AISI D2 · JIS SKD11 · GB Cr12Mo1V1** X160CrMoV12-1 is a high-carbon, high-chromium cold-work tool steel. Nominal analysis is 1.55 % C, 12 % Cr, 0.85 % Mo and 0.85 % V, and the grade hardens to 58–62 HRC. It gets specified where abrasive wear, rather than impact, is what ends tool life: blanking and forming dies, shear blades, thread-rolling dies, cold extrusion tooling. It also moves very little during hardening, which is why toolrooms keep going back to it for close-tolerance work. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China. We forge X160CrMoV12-1 to customer drawing as round bar, square and flat bar, blocks, discs, shafts, hollow bar, sleeves and seamless rolled rings, in single-piece weights up to 50 t. Every order ships with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate. The works has been forging for more than twenty years and holds ISO 9001. Source page: --- ## At a glance | | | |---|---| | Steel type | Cold-work tool steel | | Werkstoff No. | 1.2379 | | AISI / ASTM | D2 (UNS T30402) | | JIS / GB | SKD11 / Cr12Mo1V1 | | Nominal analysis | 1.55 C · 12 Cr · 0.85 Mo · 0.85 V | | Delivery hardness | max 255 HB (annealed) | | Working hardness | 58–62 HRC | | Forging range | 1050–1100 °C, finish above 900 °C | | Max single piece | up to 50 t | | Certification | EN 10204 3.1 · ISO 9001 | --- ## International equivalent grades This steel is sold under a different name in almost every market, which causes no end of confusion on drawings. The table gives the nearest equivalent in each national standard, plus the European trade names you are most likely to see quoted. | Standard / region | Designation | |---|---| | EN / DIN (Germany) | X160CrMoV12-1, X153CrMoV12, X153CrMoV12-1 | | Werkstoff-Nr. | 1.2379 | | AISI / ASTM (USA) | D2 | | UNS (USA) | T30402 | | JIS (Japan) | SKD11 | | GB (China) | Cr12Mo1V1 | | GOST (Russia) | Kh12MF (Х12МФ) | | AFNOR (France) | Z160CDV12 | | UNI (Italy) | X155CrVMo121 | | UNE (Spain) | X160CrMoV12, F-5211 | | BS (UK) | BD2 | | PN (Poland) | NC11LV | | SS (Sweden) | 2310 | | KS (Korea) | STD11 | | Common trade names | Böhler K110, Uddeholm Sverker 21, SIJ SIHard 2379 | **Before you accept a substitution.** These are nearest-match cross-references, not identical specifications, and the chemical limits shift from one standard to the next. Watch GB Cr12MoV in particular. It is often quoted as a D2 equivalent, but it carries only 0.40–0.60 % Mo and 0.15–0.30 % V against 0.70–1.00 % of each in 1.2379, and both secondary hardening and wear resistance suffer for it. Check the specification your drawing calls out, then check the mill certificate. --- ## Chemical composition Composition follows the limits for W.-Nr. 1.2379 / X153CrMoV12-1. The carbon and chromium form a dense network of M7C3 chromium carbides, and those carbides are what stand up to abrasion. Molybdenum and vanadium refine them and give the steel its secondary hardening response. Chemical composition of X160CrMoV12-1 / 1.2379, mass %: | C | Si | Mn | P | S | Cr | Mo | V | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1.45–1.60 | 0.10–0.60 | 0.20–0.60 | max 0.030 | max 0.030 | 11.00–13.00 | 0.70–1.00 | 0.70–1.00 | --- ## Physical and mechanical properties The figures below are typical for the hardened and tempered condition and are meant for design work. Values for a specific delivery come off the mill certificate. | Property | Value | Condition | |---|---|---| | Density | 7.70 g/cm³ | 20 °C | | Modulus of elasticity | 210 GPa | 20 °C | | Thermal conductivity | approx. 20 W/(m·K) | 20 °C | | Specific heat capacity | approx. 460 J/(kg·K) | 20 °C | | Coefficient of thermal expansion | 10.5–12.2 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ | 20–400 °C | | Hardness, soft annealed | max 255 HB | Delivery condition | | Hardness, hardened and tempered | 58–62 HRC | Typical working range | | Compressive strength | approx. 2 600–3 000 MPa | 60 HRC | | Machinability index | approx. 30 % of AISI 1212 | Soft annealed | --- ## Heat treatment ### Soft annealing Heat to 870 °C (1600 °F), hold 2 hours, then cool at 15 °C (25 °F) per hour down to 540 °C (1000 °F) and air cool from there. An alternative cycle: hold 2 hours at 870 °C, drop to 775 °C (1425 °F), hold 6 hours, air cool. Annealed hardness comes out around 221–255 HB. ### Stress relieving - Annealed parts: 650–675 °C (1200–1250 °F), hold 2 hours, cool in still air. - Hardened parts: 15–25 °C (25–50 °F) below the original tempering temperature, hold 2 hours, cool in still air. ### Hardening - Preheat: 595–650 °C (1100–1200 °F), equalise, then 760–790 °C (1400–1450 °F), equalise again. - Austenitise: 995–1025 °C (1825–1875 °F), 30–45 minutes at temperature. - Quench: still air or positive-pressure gas at 2 bar minimum, down to below 65 °C (150 °F). - Temper: 205–540 °C (400–1000 °F), double temper, 2 hours minimum per cycle or 1 hour per 25 mm (1 in) of section, whichever is longer. Cool to room temperature between tempers. - Cryogenic treatment: optional after the first temper, to transform retained austenite and hold dimensions over the long run. Always follow a sub-zero treatment with another temper. ### Tempering response and dimensional change Hardness and size change after austenitising at 1010 °C (1850 °F) and double tempering. Retained austenite has a large effect on the size change figures. | Hardening temperature | Tempering temperature | Hardness (HRC) | Longitudinal size change | |---|---|---|---| | 1010 °C (1850 °F) | 205 °C (400 °F) | 61 | −0.025 % | | 1010 °C (1850 °F) | 315 °C (600 °F) | 59 | −0.010 % | | 1010 °C (1850 °F) | 425 °C (800 °F) | 58 | −0.017 % | | 1010 °C (1850 °F) | 540 °C (1000 °F) | 55 | −0.006 % | **Do not temper below 205 °C.** Tempering in the 425–540 °C band gives secondary hardening but costs toughness, so most cold-work tooling gets a double temper at 205 °C and runs at 60–62 HRC. If the tool is going to be PVD coated or nitrided afterwards, temper at or above the coating temperature so the core does not soften in the coating chamber. --- ## Forging and hot working This is a ledeburitic steel, so the as-cast structure carries a coarse primary carbide network. Breaking that network up and spreading it evenly is the whole point of forging the grade properly, and it is why forged bar and block outlast cast or lightly worked material in die service. Reduction ratio matters more here than most buyers expect. | Operation | Parameter | |---|---| | Preheating | Slow and even; soak at 650–750 °C to equalise before going higher | | Forging start temperature | 1050–1100 °C | | Forging finish temperature | Not below 900 °C | | Deformation | Moderate reduction per pass; reheat rather than force the last blows | | Cooling after forging | Slow, in furnace or insulating material. Never still air, never water | | Post-forge treatment | Soft anneal straight away at 870 °C with controlled cooling | | Typical forging ratio | 3 : 1 or better for die-quality bar and block | --- ## Applications The grade goes where abrasion rather than shock is the limiting factor. It is the usual choice for high-volume blanking and cold-forming tooling in sheet up to about 6 mm. **Cutting and blanking tools** Blanking, piercing and trimming dies · shear blades and guillotine knives · slitter knives and rotary cutting blades · plate-cutting dies · lamination dies · paper, plastic and wood cutting tools · scrap choppers and tyre shredder blades **Forming and drawing tools** Cold forming and deep-drawing dies · drawing dies and bending dies · coining dies and die chasers · thread-rolling dies and jaws · cold extrusion dies and punches · flanging and straightening rolls **Rolls and rotating parts** Cold and semi-hot rolling rolls · screw-rolling and thread-rolling rolls · tube-section forming rolls · seaming rolls and forming rollers · knurls and burnishing tools **Wear and precision parts** Wear plates, guide rails, sliding guides · jaw holders, mould plates and inserts · moulds for thermoset and filled-resin injection · injection screw and tip components · gauges and measuring tools · sandblast nozzles --- ## Machining, grinding, EDM and surface treatment **Machining.** Machine soft annealed, at max 255 HB. Carbide or coated carbide tooling, reduced speed, rigid setup. The chromium carbides are hard on cutting edges, so reckon on about 30 % of the machinability of free-cutting steel. Stress relieve at 650–675 °C after heavy roughing, before hardening. **Grinding.** Soft, open-structure wheels with plenty of coolant. Light in-feeds: grinding burn puts tensile stress in the surface and cracks it. Re-temper 25 °C below the last tempering temperature after heavy grinding. **EDM.** Finish on low-energy settings to keep the recast layer thin. Stone or polish the recast layer off, then temper 25 °C below the last tempering temperature to relieve EDM stresses. **Welding and coating.** Weld for repair only. Preheat 200–300 °C, matched tool-steel filler, slow cool, re-temper. Nitriding, PVD (TiN, TiCN, AlTiN) and hard chrome all work; temper at or above the coating temperature before coating. --- ## Forged product forms we supply Everything is forged to customer drawing or specification on our open-die presses and ring mill. Sizes outside the ranges below are usually possible, so ask. | Product form | Typical size range | Typical use | |---|---|---| | Forged round bar / rod | Ø 80–1200 mm × up to 6000 mm | Punches, die blocks, rolls | | Forged square and flat bar | Thickness 50–800 mm, width up to 1500 mm | Die plates, shear blades | | Forged block / plate | Up to 1500 × 800 mm section | Large blanking and forming dies | | Forged disc | OD up to 2500 mm | Rotary cutters, die inserts | | Forged shaft / roll | Ø 100–1000 mm | Cold rolling and forming rolls | | Hollow bar / sleeve / bushing | OD 150–1500 mm | Cylinders, casings, liners | | Seamless rolled ring | OD 200–4000 mm | Ring dies, bearing and wear rings | **Delivery conditions:** as-forged and soft annealed to max 255 HB, rough machined with allowance, finish machined to drawing, or hardened and tempered to a stated HRC. Parts go out shot blasted and oiled, or VCI wrapped for sea freight. --- ## Quality control and certification Every forging is traceable to its heat number and is released against a written inspection record. An EN 10204 3.1 certificate from our own quality department is standard on all orders. | Test | Method / standard | Scope | |---|---|---| | Chemical analysis | Optical emission spectrometry | Every heat, standard | | Hardness | Brinell (HB) / Rockwell (HRC) | Every piece, standard | | Dimensional inspection | Against customer drawing | Every piece, standard | | Ultrasonic testing | EN 10228-3, SEP 1921, ASTM A388 | On request | | Magnetic particle inspection | ASTM E709 / EN 10228-1 | On request | | Microstructure and carbide distribution | Metallographic examination | On request | | Grain size / cleanliness | ASTM E112 / ASTM E45 | On request | | Certification | EN 10204 3.1 standard; 3.2 with SGS, BV or TÜV witness | Standard / on request | Quality management is certified to ISO 9001. --- ## About the manufacturer Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. forges at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province. Jiangyin sits on the south bank of the Yangtze in the delta forging cluster, roughly 150 km from the Port of Shanghai, so containers move quickly. We have been open-die forging for more than twenty years and work from customer drawings rather than a fixed catalogue. **Capability.** Open-die forging, single pieces up to 50 t. Seamless rolled rings up to 4000 mm OD. Heat treatment in house: annealing, normalising, quenching and tempering. Rough and finish machining to drawing. **Materials.** Carbon steel, alloy steel, tool and die steel, stainless steel, nickel alloys. --- ## Frequently asked questions ### What is X160CrMoV12-1 steel? X160CrMoV12-1 is a high-carbon, high-chromium cold-work tool steel carrying roughly 1.55 % carbon, 12 % chromium, 0.85 % molybdenum and 0.85 % vanadium. It hardens to 58–62 HRC, resists abrasion well, takes high compressive load and moves very little during hardening. Typical uses are blanking and forming dies, shear blades, thread-rolling dies, cold extrusion tooling and wear parts. ### Is X160CrMoV12-1 the same as 1.2379 and AISI D2? For practical purposes, yes. X160CrMoV12-1 carries Werkstoff number 1.2379, and the same steel is sold as X153CrMoV12-1 in Europe, D2 in the United States, SKD11 in Japan and Cr12Mo1V1 in China. Chemical limits are not identical across those standards, so check the specification your drawing calls out and the mill certificate before accepting a substitution. ### What hardness can X160CrMoV12-1 reach? It is supplied soft annealed at max 255 HB so it can be machined. After austenitising at 1010 °C and double tempering it runs 61 HRC at a 205 °C temper, 59 HRC at 315 °C, 58 HRC at 425 °C and 55 HRC at 540 °C. Most cold-work tooling is used at 58–62 HRC. ### What is the forging temperature of X160CrMoV12-1? Forge from 1050–1100 °C and stop before the piece drops below 900 °C. The high carbide content means it has to be heated slowly and evenly, worked with moderate reduction per pass, then cooled slowly in the furnace and soft annealed straight after forging. Skipping the post-forge anneal is the usual cause of cracking. ### Is X160CrMoV12-1 (D2) a stainless steel? No. It holds 11–13 % chromium, but most of that chromium sits in carbides instead of the matrix, so it does not behave as a stainless grade. Corrosion resistance is moderate at best, and only when the tool is hardened, tempered and well polished. Oil or coat it for storage and shipping. ### Can X160CrMoV12-1 be welded? Only for repair, never for fabrication. Preheat to 200–300 °C, use a matched tool-steel filler, run small beads, cool slowly and then stress relieve 25 °C below the last tempering temperature. ### What forms of X160CrMoV12-1 forgings does Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal supply? Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. supplies X160CrMoV12-1 as open-die forged round bar, square and flat bar, blocks, discs and plates, shafts and rolls, hollow bar, sleeves, bushings and cylinders, and seamless rolled rings. Single pieces run up to 50 t, supplied as-forged, rough machined or finish machined to drawing. ### Do you provide material certificates for X160CrMoV12-1 forgings? Yes. Every order ships with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate covering heat analysis, heat-treatment record, hardness and dimensional inspection. EN 10204 3.2 with SGS, BV or TÜV witness is available, as is ultrasonic testing to EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 or ASTM A388. ### What is the difference between X160CrMoV12-1 and X153CrMoV12? Very little. Both sit under Werkstoff number 1.2379 and European mills use the names interchangeably. The number refers to nominal carbon in hundredths of a percent, so X160CrMoV12-1 reads as about 1.60 % C and X153CrMoV12 as about 1.53 % C. Both fall inside the 1.45–1.60 % C range of the specification. ### How should X160CrMoV12-1 be machined and ground? Machine it soft annealed with carbide or coated carbide tooling at reduced speed and a rigid setup, because the chromium carbides are hard on cutting edges. After hardening, grind with soft open-structure wheels and plenty of coolant, since grinding burn will crack the surface. EDM surfaces should be stoned or polished to take off the recast layer and then tempered 25 °C below the last tempering temperature. --- ## Request a quotation Send a drawing, a specification, or just a description of the part with dimensions, quantity, delivery condition and any testing you need. We normally come back within one working day. **Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.** No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China Telephone / WhatsApp / WeChat: +86-189-2135-9659 E-mail: sales@steelforgepieces.com Web: Technical data reviewed by our engineering department. Last updated 19 September 2026. Figures are for guidance. Binding values are those stated on the order and on the material certificate.